


Of Gears and Smoke

by salty_writer



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Egypt, England - Freeform, F/F, Fantasy, Other, Royalty, Short Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 10:21:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13409208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salty_writer/pseuds/salty_writer
Summary: This is the story of a homesick girl and a girl who is sick of her home.





	Of Gears and Smoke

**Day 4 of living in London, England:**

Gold and various sized gear designs, the sign for the King of England. Since coming to this smog covered kingdom, all I could see on every block was the crest of the royal family and their faces in pictures that seem to not need their stamp of approval. Along with the royal family being on every flat surface, one could see flyers that advertised the many conventions steam machine inventors and investors would go to on a daily basis just to see if they could get a foot in the door and make it big quickly. That seems to be a common thing in this world of smoke - you need to do what you can to get above the masses or else you’ll be a sheep for the rest of your life. Thankfully, I never had the need to be in that position; I was born into my wealth thanks to my English father and my Egyptian mother. For most of my life I was a thing of wonder in the dry world of the desert country. I had represented the rain and the hopeful wealth that would come along with the English; however, when my father was called back to England on my seventeenth birthday, I was forced to move to the wet and humid world that was drastically different from my home.

My mother had opted to stay behind to watch the assets we kept at home, while my father decided it would be best if I came back with him so that I could “meet someone of worth to marry and not some village rat of a lower status” - even though most of the people who lived in our city were ranking officers in the Egyptian military. Both my mother and I had scoffed when we heard my father’s reasoning, but I had gone with him anyways just to see what it was like in the place where my father was most in his element - among the smoke and gears of the steam engine.

Taking a look around my surroundings, I now noticed the impact that the steam engine and other steam inventions had on society; it had even gone into the fashion! Women wore dresses with faint gold embroidery in the shape of gears as well as pairs of engineer goggles atop their hats and hair, as if it was a fashionable hat itself. Along with gears that were hidden into the patterns, ladies wore braces of iron on their wrists and neck, giving them a camel-like stretch to their heads. I had almost laughed when I first saw the contraption, but let it be since they didn’t seem to mind the metal at all. As for the men, they also had gears on their clothing and goggles around their hats or head, but for the men who wore beaver hats, the fabric had a look of being made from welded metal themselves. It was truly amazing what the English could come up with and call it fashionable. Apparently when the English had an idea, it spread to all corners of society.

**Day 168 of living in London, England:**

My father has been in his study for the past few days and I’ve become worried that he has died in there - or worse, he had suffocated one of our maids with his cigar smoke. It would be the last thing we need if we were to go to the king’s ball in the latest model of an airship his personal inventors had designed and gotten into the air. The ship was a massive 358 meters long and just as tall if one was to count the the engine blades, the balloons that kept the machine floating in the smog blanket, as well as the the engine room tower that let out the smoke from the steam. The outside of the ship held multiple spot lights so that other flying ships would see it coming for miles around - as well to show off how much power the royal family actually holds over England. Inside the ship was supposedly filled with all the dressings of a ball room - tables, a massive dance floor, curtains hanging from the roof to floor windows looking over the city, lights with a soft pink glow to them illuminating the insides. My father had told me it was brilliant what the inventors had been able to come up with, but all I could think of was an exaggerated death machine that would crash and burn if even a single measurement was off.

I don’t want to go to any ball in a flying machine, but I have a feeling that father will make me so that I can try and win the heart of any man of a higher status than my own. I wonder if he’d tell me to win the heart of one of the princes. I admit that they are attractive and would make a good husband to any woman they married, but I have a feeling that that situation is one I could not see myself in. Even back home in Cairo when I interacted with the Pharaoh’s sons on multiple accounts, I couldn’t find it in myself to try and initiate anything, so I had just developed friendly relationships with them - despite what my mother had liked to think whenever she would see me walking around the palace with the eldest prince.

My mother… It has been many days since I had last seen her smiling face. Every three weeks I would receive a letter from her, recounting all the things that had happened since the last time she had wrote. According to the letter I had received last week, the eldest prince was to get married to a bride from Lower Egypt and that he wished I could meet his bride to see if she would be a good match for him. At this I had laughed - who’s heard of a prince asking another woman if his bride would be a good fit. When I had finished the letter, I had let out a sigh at the time and closed my eyes, wishing I could go back home and stay there to see my friend grow up with his bride and their children.

 **Day 170 of living in London, England:** Father has finally come out of his study and showered, dressing in the ever popular gear design of the current fashion. He had called me down to eat tonight and we chatted for a little before he had brought up word of a ball that was to be held in honor of the largest steam powered airship to be sailed in the sky. Father told me that in the beginning it had been just going to be high ranking officials, nobles like himself, and the royal family, but the princess had insisted to make it a ball since she hardly ever got to go out and have fun at parties with ladies her age; so King Robert had officially made it a ball and then proceeded to have the princess invite all the noble ladies she wanted. It was then that Father had a letter passed down to me from his end of the table. Opening the letter when I received it, I was not surprised to see a handwritten letter addressed to myself from the princess.

_Dear Lady Bastet of the house Forrin,_

_I, the Crown Princess Henrietta, have sent this letter as a formal invite to the ball my father, King Robert, will be holding on the 20th of July. I wish to also invite you to the castel a week prior to the date so that you may shop for an appropriate dress for the occasion. Please consider coming to the shopping day - I would love to have your company at the time._

_With well wishes at heart,_

_Crown Princess Henrietta Killian_

When I finished reading the letter, I looked over at my father who was calmly speaking with a servant in a hushed tone. Clearing my throat, I brought my father back to the present. He smiled and had asked me if I would be willing to go to the shopping day a week prior to the ball and to the ball itself. Looking back at the letter, I let out a quiet sigh to myself and nodded that I would be going. The smile he had given me could have lit up all of London.

 

**Day of the ball**

Finally, the day of the ball had arrived and I was wearing a beautiful, dark green gown that hugged my curves correctly, but still allowed movement for dancing and the like. Upon my face sat a golden cat mask that was designed to look as though it’s cheeks were made of gears. When I had gone with Henrietta I wasn’t expecting her to tell me that the ball had been made into a masquerade at the last minute. It had thrown me off when I heard that information so now I had the upper half to a feline on my face and it was slightly off putting since I also had makeup on underneath - why the makeup was necessary, I will never know.

An hour before we were to leave for the airfield, a limousine had been parked outside of my father’s estate. He had explained that it was arranged by the King so that we could get the ball in a “stylish manner”. Hearing that made one of my eyebrows lift under my mask, but I waved it off in my mind so that I wouldn’t be worried about it in the future since this seemed like something Robert did often when it came to balls and having the high ranking men and women arrive to the event in style.

The interior of the limo was a deep red wine color - as if the wine had been aged for several centuries before being opened. It was beautiful to say the least. The red color was probably the most color I had seen outside of gray, black, white and the occasional gold that was now my world. Quickly, I got into the luxury car and we made our way to the ship.

 

Upon arriving at the airship, I was amazed at the size - despite knowing the dimensions before hand. In front of me stood probably the heaviest piece of flying metal in the world and for some reason I was impressed as well as disgusted at the sheer amount of uncaring that the inhabitants of England had for the environment that they lived in. Sitting next to me, my father patted my shoulder with a proud smile and got out of the car as the driver came to my side and opened the door wide enough for me to swing my legs wide and get out. Once I was standing up straight and my dress was smoothed out, I joined my father and hooked our arms as we walked to the entrance.

 

Being the largest room in the entire ship, one would expect a great deal was put into the makings of this place and that one would be right. Not only was it as good as it was rumored to be, but it had windows all along both walls looking out to the city. Hanging from the windows were curtains colored somewhere between a red and purple - an almost maroon shade of the two. It contrasted very nicely, to me, with the golds and pinks that were arranged around the massive room. Milling around the place, small groups of noblemen and women spoke with their circle of friends, chatting about this and that and what the weather would be doing tomorrow - completely mundane things while they waited for the ball to officially start, as well as for the royal family to show up.

When the family did show up, there was a large crowd of reporters surrounding them, taking pictures and asking questions about the large airship and how it was to get off the ground. All the king said was that they would have to wait and see from the ground. Then him and his family came to join us in the ballroom and sent the reporters away - officially starting the ball with a flourish of his hands and a loud: “Welcome my esteemed guests to my newest airship and the first ball to be taking place while in flight!” The crowd around my father and I gave a loud cheer in response. When the noise from the crowd died down, the band started to play - letting people know that it was now sociably acceptable to dance.

 

Half way through the night, I took a break from my father and the mass of dancing nobles and gentlemen who flocked around any available woman for a chance to woo her and sweep her off her feet. My own took me to the far side of the ship where few were and the noise was relatively less. The only ones there was the princess and an old couple who were speaking with the girl. Getting closer to the three, my eyes drifted over the princess and assessed her dress and mask. It was a beautiful gown that draped like the branches of a willow tree that looked over a lake and colored a dark purple with faint patterns of flowers.

When the princess and I had gone out shopping for our dresses a week ago, it had surprised me when she seemed to have skipped over the popular gear designed dresses that the rest of our group had flocked to, and went for a more floral look. At the time, I had questioned her actions and she told me that she was “tired of the gears and machines” of England. It was at this time that she had told me she longed to see nature and everything that grew instead of the machines that now populated her home. Hearing her say that had struck something deep in my chest, something that echoed with the princess’ words.

“Hello, Bastet,” a soft voice said, pulling me from my thoughts.

Blinking, I brought my focus to the princess in front of me. “Oh, hello, Princess Henrietta. Enjoying your ball?”

Henrietta turned to look at the men and women mingling on the dance floor some yards away from us. Then she turned back to me and shook her head. “I thought having this ball would ease some of my wishing, but it has done nothing. I still wish to leave this place and go far, far away. I am coming to hate this place that I have called home all of my life. Bastet, I want to see more of the world.”

I looked her over once more and then was struck with an idea. “I wish to leave England as well. I miss my home - Egypt. We could go together.” Henrietta’s eyes widened at the thought, as if she was completely surprised by the sudden idea. “It would be the perfect plan, Princess. My father knows I long to go back to my mother so he wouldn’t be surprised if I were to leave suddenly and then appear back with my mother. We could even take one of the rescue ships that this airship has. It would take a few days to get there, but I’m sure we’d be fine.”

Henrietta nodded slowly, her eyebrows knitting together as she thought this plan over. “My father would be angry and you may tarnish your father’s reputation as a noble among the English.”

Waving my hand, I dismissed her words. “I don’t care about his reputation here since I do not call this place my home. It is nice here, but Egypt is my home. I wish to take you with me so that your own wish may come true. If you do not want to do this, that is fine; but I will be leaving tonight - whether it’s on a rescue ship I take or one that my father arranges for me in the morning.” She bit her bottom lip as I spoke. Reaching out to her, I continued. “Princess. I can see you’re miserable here after hearing your wish. Please accompany me on a ship to my homeland. I will make sure you get to see flowers like the ones on your dress - along with others that grow native in the desert.”

When I was finished, Henrietta turned to one of the windows, moving out the slight grip I had put her in, and looked out the window to see the bright skyline of London. After a minute of thoughtful silence, she turned back to me and nodded. “I will go with you tonight. Please show me the wonders of the desert.”

I smiled and took her hand, lacing our fingers together. “I promise to take care of you as we escape this barren land of machines.”

Another nod and then we were walking quickly to a door that I could only guess to be the way to the ships that any airship this large or smaller had to have in case of an emergency. The princess led me down several corridors and even more flights of stairs (it's a miracle we didn't trip over our gowns) before we were in the belly of the ship where the smaller ships were being held in suspension. This is where things went a little askew to my plan.

Just as we were figuring out how to release the plane and work it safely, a guard that was apparently patrolling the area came by.

“Hey! What is going on here?” The guard yelled, alerting us to his presence.

Both of us looked up and at each other before turning to the guard. “I’m showing my friend the rescue ships,” the princess covered, wringing her hands together.

The guard looked her over before coming closer. “Are you okay, Princess Henrietta? Maybe we should get you back to the ball before your father finds you missing.”

"I’m just showing her,” she insisted. “Please leave us be and we will get back to the party as soon as we’re done here.” As she tried to convince him to leave us be, I continued to try and figure out what lever had to be pulled for the hatch to open and let the plane go.

The man shook his head. “I can’t let the possibility of a kidnapping happen, Your Highness.” Then he came closer and tried to grab for the Princess, but I was faster and pulled her into the cockpit of the ship. With a small victorious yell, I pulled the lever and opened the doors that were under the ship. Once those were opened, I pulled another lever that allowed the ship to fall and automatically start up as it fell.

I could hear the Princess scream, something about how we’re going to die; but I managed to pull the ship out of the beginnings of a nose dive once the engine was up and running. As the ship leveled out, Henrietta stopped screaming and look around.

“We aren’t dead,” she commented in shock. “How do you know how to fly?”

“We took an airship to get to London and while my father was napping during the flight, I took it upon myself to talk to our pilot and see how everything worked.” I smiled at the memory. “I’m glad I took it upon myself to have the little lessons.”

She nodded her head in agreement and moved around her seat until she found a comfortable position. “I’m happy you talked me out of getting the dress with a wire basket. That would have been horrible to try and get into this ship with."

I laughed at her comment. “Yeah… Yeah it would have,” I replied, shaking my head, my smile still present. “Just try and sleep while I pilot. Time will go by faster for you if you do.” Once more, she nodded and closed her eyes - falling asleep almost instantly - as if the purr of the engine had lulled her to rest. Turning my eyes back to the sky in front of me, I took a deep breath and let it go into a sigh of relief. “I’m coming home, momma. Just wait for me."


End file.
